Flying Fish

• The Flying fish gets its name from being able to fly for 160 ft (50m) or more, by gliding at up to 20 ft above the surface.
• It is a defense mechanism to escape predators, but occasionally they land on a ship’s deck.

Methods of Fishing

The following methods have remained unchanged since antiquity:

• China Sea:
  • Gillnets are vertical lines of nets that entrap the fish, usually around the gills.
• Indian Ocean:
  • Dipnets are a hand net on a long handle, dipped under the fish.
• Oceania:
  • In the Solomon Islands they are traditionally fished on moonless nights by being caught in nets held between vessels, attracted by holding up a torch.

Location

• Flying fish are found in mainly Tropical and Subtropical waters, in all the Oceans, between the surface to a depth of 650 feet (200m).
  • South China Sea and East China Sea:
    • Japan, China, Taiwan, Vietnam.
  • Oceania:
    • Soloman Islands.
  • The Indian Ocean:
    • India, Maldives, Indonesia.
  • The Caribbean Sea:
    • Barbados, Tobago, Venezuela.